Watch Out for False Teaching (Mark 8:11-21)

I. Introduction. A. Orientation (vv. 11-12). 1. After Jesus fed the four thousand, He and His disciples got in a boat and came to Dalmanutha. a. Dalmanutha is mentioned only here in Mark. b. It was on the west side of the Sea of Galilee, close to Magdala, which was one of the names of the many watch-towers, built on that side of the lake. 2. Here, the Pharisees came out and immediately began to argue. a. By now you know that the majority of the Pharisees didnt really want to know whether Jesus was from God or not. b. They had already made up their minds that He wasnt and so argued with Him to prove it to themselves. (i) They wouldnt believe the Scripture. (ii) They said they wanted to see a sign; but Jesus had already done so many if He did another miracle, it wouldnt make any difference. (a) Believe it or not, miracles cant change your heart. (b) If Jesus parted your swimming pool or raised a dead relative, if He made an arm or a leg to grow on someone who lost one right before your eyes, it wouldnt make any difference if you dont believe. (c) You might be amazed or scared, but you wouldnt feel any differently about God. (d) You must change your attitude towards Him you must circumcise your heart by His grace before you will ever want to come. c. Jesus knew they were only asking for a sign that they might discredit Him. (i) And so taking a deep breath and sighing because they didnt believe He told them He wouldnt give them a sign signs are for those who believe, not for those who dont they are to confirm faith, not unbelief. (ii) In another Gospel, He tells them He will give them one sign: that of Jonah. (a) As Jonah was three days and nights in the belly of the fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and nights in the tomb; but after that, He would rise up again from the dead. (b) Some would believe when it happened; but the majority wouldnt and perish. (c) Dont let that happen to you read these eyewitness accounts with faith believe on the Lord, and you will be saved. 3. After this, He left again with His disciples for the other side of the Sea.

2 a. After they were a little ways out, the disciples looked around the boat and realized they had forgotten to bring food for the trip they only had one loaf of bread which wasnt nearly enough for a group of at least thirteen men (vv. 13-14). b. What could they do? What would Jesus have to say? 4. They were so fixated on their bread shortage, they really had no idea what He was talking about when He said next, Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod (v. 15). a. They thought Jesus was upset with them because they forgot to bring the bread (v. 16). b. He knew what they were thinking; and so He asked them (vv. 17-21): (i) Why are you concerned about bread? (ii) When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets of bread were left over? They answered, Twelve. (iii) When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many large baskets were left over? They answered, Seven. (iv) Why then are you worried about bread? (v) Are you as blind and deaf as those around you? c. Lets not be too hard on the disciples, after all, we may very well have done the same thing. We struggle in this same area. (i) Were always forgetting what Hes done for us, how Hes answered our prayers, how Hes provided for us. (ii) When difficult times come, we still question Him, doubt whether Hell take care of us, worry and become anxious. (iii) The Lord asks you this morning: Are you also blind? Are you also deaf? Dont you remember what Ive done for you? (iv) Dont be unbelieving, but believe! B. Preview. 1. Jesus point was not to point out that they forgot to take bread He could sink the boat with the bread He could make from that one loaf. Rather, He was warning them against the influence of the Pharisees and Herod (v. 15). But which influence? Their beliefs were so different. a. The Pharisees believed in some of the things you and I do the existence of the spiritual realm; they believed in angels, spirits, and the resurrection. But they also differed with us: they thought that keeping the Law and the tradition of the elders was the path that led to heaven. b. By Herod, Jesus is probably referring to the Herodians these were the Jews who supported the line of kings known as the Herods, who favored submitting to Rome and adopted the customs of the Romans. c. And then there were the Sadducees. (i) When Matthew writes about this particular event, he includes the Sadducees instead of Herod this was probably because they favored the same things the Herodians did.

3 (ii) They also denied the spiritual realm they didnt believe that angels or spirits existed, or that the dead would ever rise from their graves. (iii) They were the deists, the theological liberals of their day they believed God existed, but that He virtually had nothing to do with the world. (iv) The fact that they and the Herodians believed in submitting to Rome, put them at odds with the Pharisees, who hated both Roman rule and Roman customs. (v) And that they denied the existence of the spiritual realm and life after death, put them further at odds with the Pharisees. 2. What was it that they all had in common that Jesus was warning them against? Actually, there were two things: a. First, the fact that they didnt have faith: they all wanted to see a sign from Jesus, not to prove He was the Messiah, but to try and prove He wasnt. b. Second, the fact that they were all guilty of heresy: they were all Jewish, but they all taught things that would keep you out of the kingdom of heaven. (i) The Pharisees believed you must keep the Law and the traditions to be saved Jesus wasnt necessary. (ii) The Sadducees and Herodians didnt believe you needed salvation because when you died, you just simply ceased to exist again, you didnt need Jesus. (iii) If you believe either of these things, you will not enter Gods kingdom you wont be saved. c. Jesus says you must guard yourself from these things: (i) First, guard your heart against rejecting Jesus as your Savior. (ii) And second, watch out that you dont begin to believe things that arent true. II. Sermon. A. First, guard your heart against rejecting Jesus as your Savior. 1. Jesus is speaking here about Jews. a. The Pharisees, the Herodians and the Sadducees were all Jewish they were all Gods people, they were all the children of Abraham, they were all a part of His church. b. And yet, they didnt believe. (i) Was it because Jesus didnt give them enough proof? (ii) Was Gods Word not clear enough? (iii) No, both were very clear Jesus was the Messiah. (a) Many of the Jewish leaders rejected Him because their hearts were hard they didnt want to lose their precious position with Rome. (b) But those who had nothing to lose and everything to gain knew who He was, When the Christ comes, He will not perform more signs than those which this man has, will He? (John 7:31). (c) Here is another warning not to let anything stand between you and salvation. Whatever it is, let go of it before it destroys you.

2. What about you? What more do you need to convince you? What more does He need to do? a. He healed the rotting skin of many lepers, He made the blind to see and the deaf to hear; He raised several who were dead to life. b. He told the wind and the waves what to do, and they obeyed; He walked on water as though He was walking on a road. c. He fulfilled hundreds of prophecies even things He could not have had any control over unless He was the Messiah. d. What more do you need? What more could He do? 3. Guard yourself from demanding any more proof from Jesus that He is the Messiah. a. Dont close your eyes and plug your ears to the evidence. b. Jesus is the only way you will ever escape the fires of hell and enter into the joys of heaven. c. Watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod if you believe like them, you will die with them. B. Second, watch out that you dont begin to believe things that arent true. 1. Anything that deviates from Gods truth is dangerous. a. If an airplane veers from its course by just a few degrees, it will miss its destination by miles. b. Whenever you deviate from the truth, it will wound you in some way. 2. Some errors will only hurt you. a. True believers disagree over some things that dont directly have to do with your salvation. (i) Some believe Jesus is coming soon; others that He wont return for a long time. (ii) Some believe when Jesus comes, He will set up a Jewish kingdom on earth; others believe He will gather everyone for the final judgment and bring His people into His eternal kingdom. b. You can disagree on a number of things and still be true believers. But that doesnt change the fact that believing something that isnt true will still hurt you in some way. (i) If you believe that Jesus is coming soon and that things are just going to get worse until He does, you might be tempted not to do anything for His glory now you might think youre just running a fools errand. (ii) If you believe theres still a seven year tribulation between now and when Jesus returns, you might be tempted not to take believing in Him now seriously, since youll have second chance. (iii) This last error could not only hurt you, it could destroy you, if Hes coming soon.

5 3. These errors can also not only hurt you, but others. a. Its one thing to hold certain beliefs as your own personal convictions. b. Its another thing to insist that everyone agree with you. c. When you use your convictions to divide brethren especially when what you believe isnt true you not only hurt yourself, you hurt others. d. You also injure Jesus, who wants His church to be one. e. Its one thing to discuss your convictions with other mature Christians to refine your own understanding its quite another to indoctrinate young believers or try to divide the church with them. 4. But then there are errors like those of the Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians that will destroy your soul you must especially watch out for them. a. Anything that strikes at the heart of the Gospel can destroy you, such as, (i) Trusting your works to save you, (ii) Or believing that you dont need to repent of your sins, (iii) Or denying you have any guilt or that you will continue to live after death or that your body will one day be raised. (iv) Believing in a god that isnt Triune, or a Jesus that isnt both the eternal God and fully man will condemn you, (v) As will denying that you are saved by Gods grace alone through faith. b. You need to watch out for all error, but especially this last kind. (i) If you ever turn from those teachings that are fundamental to the Gospel, you will be lost. (ii) If you build your house on sand if you establish your eternal well-being on something that isnt true or if you tear the foundation out from under the building, the building will fall your life will be ruined. c. Jesus tells you this morning to guard yourself against false teaching and to embrace the truth build your life on the rock of His truth. d. This is the only way you will be safe. Amen. http://www.graceopcmodesto.org